Silvio Samuel Needs to Rebound After Disappointing NY Pro

A top six finish in a bodybuilding contest is nothing to be ashamed about and could be viewed as an accomplishment in some circles. For Silvio Samuel, that is not the case. The winner of the Iron Man Pro back in January ‘El Matador’ could not – and should not – have been content with fourth place in this month’s New York Pro.

Taking nothing away from the three that finished ahead of him, Samuel had to look at them and feel as if he may have missed a golden opportunity to win his second show of the year. Evan Centopani won his first pro show right out of the gate, Dennis James was the runner-up in Manhattan and finished two places behind Samuel at the Arnold Classic in March and Markus Ruhl had not competed in two years.

If Samuel came in shape, he very well could have won this show. As it was, he was lucky to finish ahead of Hidetada Yamagashi and may have only on reputation.

It doesn’t get any easier come September with a stacked line-up at the Mr. Olympia. Samuel, 34, needs to do better than last year’s seventh place finish but will find it hard. Yes, he has had a good year with the early win, a fifth place at the Arnold and a runner-up position at the Australia Pro Grand Prix, but that’s what makes his New York Pro result even more frustrating.

Samuel has shown that he can hang with the big boys and a force to be reckoned with in the ‘second tier’ shows. His next few times on the stage will go a long way in determining his legacy.